Tube Dude comes to Main Street

The team behind Sarasota’s quirky, colorful smiling dudes have opened up a new storefront on Main Street in Sarasota.

Tube Dude, the company that makes the metal stick figures seen outside Sarasota area offices, storefronts and restaurants, moved into the 5,000-square-foot space of the former Sarasota Hardware store. Sarasota Hardware closed in September after operating on Main Street for 78 years.

“We needed some foot traffic, which we weren’t getting at our location on Central Avenue,” said founder and owner Scott Gerber. “The Main Street location is fantastic – we sold $2,000 worth of merchandise in the first two hours of opening our doors and had nearly 400 people come through that first Saturday.”

The location at 1554 Main Street will serve as Tube Dude’s primary retail showroom, Gerber said. The original location at 1001 Central Avenue is being renovated in order to house a touring facility, where customers can see their Tube Dudes being made. The touring facility will double in size to be 6,000-square-feet, Gerber said, and he hopes to double his staff of seven to 14 or 20 employees in the coming months.

“This is one of the largest store fronts on Main Street, and it’s a perfect place to create a new, interactive place for people to experience Tube Dude,” Gerber said. “People want to interact with them. Customers name them and dress them up. We wanted to expand that further.”

Tube Dude prices start at $1,500 for full size dudes, and mini-versions start at $150.

A grand opening celebration will take place in mid-February.

[Photo courtesy of Tube Dude.]

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